Dogma Wednesday: The End of Man

Q1.What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

-The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Each of us have things we look forward to. We long for comfort, happiness, and wholeness. And yet, at times, we do not receive any of those things. We live in a broken world that keeps leaving us cold, broken, and empty. But as Christians, we have a hope, a goal, and an end for which we live everyday. Throughout history, we have seen the Fall take its toll on the human condition through wars, catastrophes, and pandemics. And yet, all parts of history are working towards one ultimate goal. We as Christians should recognize that our individual stories play a part in a bigger redemptive Story. And even though we face heartache, we know that our aim is the aim of that Story. All of our lives work for the ultimate end of glorifying God.

The Ultimate End

Mankind's chief end, his ultimate end, is the same as all things in the created order. The Westminster Shorter Catechism explains that we were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Colossians, in expounding on the preeminence of Christ, states, "all things were created by Him and for Him" (1:16). Just like everything else on earth, we exist to bring God glory. Since believers are being renewed into Christlikeness, we are also being enabled to carry out what we were first created to do. And we can glorify God in a personal way apart from the believer.

Paul shares his thoughts on man's chief end in Philippians when he shares his hope for his own life. In the first chapter, he states, "it is my eager expectation and hope that, whether by life or death, now as always, Christ would be magnified in my body" (v.20). The apostle's aim in his life, in whatever circumstance he found himself, was that Christ would be magnified and praised.

The Immediate End

While man lives for the ultimate end of glorifying God, our lives consist of immediate ends such as relationships, jobs, money, and prestige. Each of us have hopes, dreams, and plans. We long to graduate, to get married, to have a house full of kids, and to die in the arms of our loved ones at an old age. Christians participate in elections and social events to see change in the world around us. We evangelize, hoping that God might perhaps save a few. Each of these hopes, although good, are not aimed towards themselves. Rather, our immediate ends are geared towards the ultimate end of bringing glory to God.

In Philippians 1, the apostle goes on to show how he can magnify Christ both in his life and his death. He says in verse 21, "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain." From the previous verse, we see that the two options (living and dying) are both capable of magnifying Christ, which is why Paul goes on to state, "I am hard pressed between the two" (v.23). Both options of living or dying are both good. And both magnify Christ. Our highest hope, as Paul displays, is that God would be glorified. All other hopes can pass away (which they will). Though we may sorrow for a little time at the loss of dreams, we rejoice knowing our God is glorified both in loss and gain.

The Ultimate over the Immediate

What happens when we allow our immediate ends, and not the ultimate end, to govern our lives? James tells us that we begin to fight and quarrel (chapter 4). We become like our first parents, Adam and Eve, and start to attack each other with our words, blaming others and God for our own problems. All because we desired the immediate end of having our eyes open over the ultimate end of seeing God magnified in our lives. John Calvin once wrote in Latin, "the human heart is a perpetual idol factory," figuring out new ways to place our immediate desires above God's glory. And what is the end of idolatry? Depression, shame, heartache, fear, and death.

But what happens when we place God's glory above all immediate ends? We gain peace. First, we gain peace within our own conscience, knowing that whatever we do, we can do it in faith (Romans 14:23). Second, we gain peace with other believers as we acknowledge that they may work for a different immediate end with which we might disagree. They may participate in the immediate ends of different kinds of music, dress preferences, or moderated tobacco or alcohol consumption. And although you may disagree with their choice where Scripture does not strictly prohibit, you can still participate in your differences for the same ultimate goal, which is the glory of God. Specifically in the political time we are in, believers must recognize that a believer may vote for a candidate different from theirs but for the same ultimate end of glorifying God.

Finally, as we place the ultimate end of glorifying God over our immediate ends, we can have peace with God. We can rest in the arms of our Father who gives and takes away. "Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). The Father knows us and cares for us. All He does is meant to help us. And although we often do not know what He is doing, we can know that He works all things for our good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28-30).

Conclusion

As humans, we all strive for immediate goals such as relationships, family, and money. But as Christians, we acknowledge that those things, although important, do not deserve all of our attention and adoration. Rather, we find our ultimate satisfaction of knowing and glorifying God through Christ. Even though loved ones may pass and we may never get what we plan, we can rejoice because God will always receive the glory. While our hearts may break and tears stream down our face, we can always lift up our voice and say, "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!"